What are Trailer Park Cheekbones and Low-Income White Girl Eyes?

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Why TikTok is blowing up over these new beauty terms
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It seems like TikTok’s got a new beauty trend every day, and lately the hot buzzwords are “trailer park cheekbones” and “low-income white girl eyes.” You can probably guess that these terms aren’t very nice, and they’re mean ways to say that someone looks poor or low class. We’ll explain more about what they mean, where they came from, why they’re problematic, and other dubious slang words.

Trailer Park Cheekbones Explained

“Trailer park cheekbones” is a TikTok slang term that describes pronounced, dramatic, or angular cheekbones. “Low-income white girl eyes” describes eyes that are droopy or tired-looking. Both terms are insulting ways to say that someone looks poor or low-class, even if some people find the looks desirable.

Section 1 of 5:

What are “trailer park cheekbones?”

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  1. The term has recently taken off on TikTok and is used to describe a face shape with pronounced cheekbones that stand out more than usual. This might be because of dramatic makeup or a gaunt, skinnier face, which makes the cheekbones appear more prominent. And no, it’s not a very nice thing to say, though some people consider the look desirable.
    • To achieve the look, use darker blush or contour on your cheeks underneath your cheekbones, and apply highlighter along your cheekbones to make them pop and give your face depth.
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Section 2 of 5:

What are “low-income white girl eyes?”

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  1. Low-income white girl eyes are tired, droopy eyes with dark circles and clumpy mascara. Like “trailer park cheekbones,” it’s a TikTok term related to the beauty and aesthetics of poor people. Specifically, low-income white girl eyes are tired-looking, often with bags or dark circles, as well as clumpy or messy mascara. Basically, it’s a look that comes with long hours of work, high stress, and very little rest. And just like with “trailer park cheekbones,” it’s meant as an insult.
    • To get the look, add a hint of blue eyeshadow along your eyelids, then add eyeliner and smudge it slightly, then finish with clumpy mascara.
Section 3 of 5:

Where did these terms come from?

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  1. It’s hard to pin down exactly where these terms started and who coined them, but a little internet sleuthing reveals that they first popped upon TikTok’s trending search in May 2024. Then, in November of 2024, a video from user dollypartonysoprano racked up 380,000+ views, which likely helped to popularize the term “low-income white girl eyes.” In the video, the user complains about a comment they received saying they have low-income white girl eyes and explains that “poverty is exhausting.”
    • The term “trailer park cheekbones” is much more mysterious and has much less traffic, but a TikTok from user kkayleehughes mentions the term “trailer park pretty” way back in May 2022, and this idea is likely related.
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Section 4 of 5:

Are these terms problematic?

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  1. Yes, these terms link beauty with class and are insulting. Some people say that these looks are desirable, but many others take issue with the terms themselves. As dollypartonysoprano points out in her video, the “look” is associated with poverty and a lack of resources. To say that someone has “trailer park cheekbones” or “low-income white girl eyes” implies that they’re too poor to keep up with modern beauty standards and insults their class status.
    • The link between beauty standards and class isn’t anything new. Since basically forever, wealthy people have had access to beauty products and routines that poor people haven’t (think French nobility and their silly powdered wigs). [1]
    • Insulting poor people based on their appearance is one way that rich people further divide society and draw borders between themselves and other people.
    EXPERT TIP

    Rebecca Levy-Gantt, MPT, DO

    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist
    Dr. Rebecca Levy-Gantt is a board certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist running a private practice based in Napa, California. Dr. Levy-Gantt specializes in menopause, peri-menopause and hormonal management, including bio-Identical and compounded hormone treatments and alternative treatments. She is also a Nationally Certified Menopause Practitioner and is on the national listing of physicians who specialize in menopausal management. She received a Masters of Physical Therapy from Boston University and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine.
    Rebecca Levy-Gantt, MPT, DO
    Board Certified Obstetrician & Gynecologist

    There's nothing wrong with the way you naturally look. I’ve seen thousands and thousands of women's bodies, and to have people feel so badly about a part of their body because someone said there's something wrong with it, when in actuality it's just a variation of normal—it's painful to watch that.

Section 5 of 5:

Similar Terms

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  1. This is a term used by Angie Katsanevas on the TV show The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City . In the show, she uses it to mean that her costar, Britani Bateman, appears to have “cheap and pornish” hair, meaning that she looks like a sex worker or a porn actress. [2] It’s not a very nice thing to say, and another example of someone using class-based terms to demean other people’s appearance.
  2. 2
    Prey eyes This refers to eyes that are large and far apart. The term comes from the fact that prey animals have eyes that are far apart for a wider range of vision, which allows them to see predators more easily. Some say it offers a “vulnerable” look that enhances beauty and makes you look younger, as Evie Magazine explains on TikTok .
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.dazeddigital.com/beauty/article/55974/1/not-ugly-just-poor-how-the-beauty-industry-is-widening-the-class-divide
      2. ↑ https://youtu.be/UdN3XcVZYOk?si=tQr1-ThZsrEI4KW2

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